Described here are optical sampling architectures and methods for operation thereof. An optical sampling architecture can be capable of emitting a launch sheet light beam towards a launch region and receiving a detection sheet light beam from a detection region. The launch region can have one dimension that is elongated relative to another dimension. The detection region can also have one dimension elongated relative to another dimension such that the system can selectively accept light having one or more properties (e.g., angle of incidence, beam size, beam shape, etc.). In some examples, the elongated dimension of the detection region can be greater than the elongated dimension of the launch region. In some examples, the system can include an outcoupler array and associated components for creating a launch sheet light beam having light rays with different in-plane launch positions and/or in-plane launch angles.

Described here are optical sampling architectures and methods for operation thereof. An optical sampling architecture can be capable of emitting a launch sheet light beam towards a launch region and receiving a detection sheet light beam from a detection region. The launch region can have one dimension that is elongated relative to another dimension. The detection region can also have one dimension elongated relative to another dimension such that the system can selectively accept light having one or more properties (e.g., angle of incidence, beam size, beam shape, etc.). In some examples, the elongated dimension of the detection region can be greater than the elongated dimension of the launch region. In some examples, the system can include an outcoupler array and associated components for creating a launch sheet light beam having light rays with different in-plane launch positions and/or in-plane launch angles.

Systems and methods are provided for performing photothermal dynamic imaging. An exemplary method includes: scanning a sample to produce a plurality of raw photothermal dynamic signals; receiving the raw photothermal dynamic signals of the sample; generating a plurality of second signals by matched filtering the raw photothermal dynamic signals to reject non-modulated noise; and performing an inverse operation on the second signals to retrieve at least one thermodynamic signal in a temporal domain.

According to improvement of the receptor layer of various sensors of the type for detecting physical parameters (for example, a surface stress sensor, QCM, and SPR), all of high sensitivity, selectivity, and durability are achieved simultaneously. A porous material or a particulate material, e.g., nanoparticles, is used in place of a uniform membrane which has been conventionally used as a receptor layer. Accordingly, the sensitivity can be controlled by changing the membrane thickness of the receptor layer, the selectivity can be controlled by changing a surface modifying group to be fixed on the porous material or particulate material, and the durability can be controlled by changing the composition and surface properties of the porous material or particulate material.

According to improvement of the receptor layer of various sensors of the type for detecting physical parameters (for example, a surface stress sensor, QCM, and SPR), all of high sensitivity, selectivity, and durability are achieved simultaneously. A porous material or a particulate material, e.g., nanoparticles, is used in place of a uniform membrane which has been conventionally used as a receptor layer. Accordingly, the sensitivity can be controlled by changing the membrane thickness of the receptor layer, the selectivity can be controlled by changing a surface modifying group to be fixed on the porous material or particulate material, and the durability can be controlled by changing the composition and surface properties of the porous material or particulate material.

The invention provides a method of determining turbidity and concentration simultaneously a sample by irradiating the sample with a single incident wavelength and simultaneously measuring wavelength shifted (IE) and unshifted (EE) light emitted. A relative volume of light emitted from two phases may be determined, wherein the two phases comprise a first Rayleigh and Mie scattering and fluorescent phase associated with suspended particles, and a second, non-scattering but fluorescent phase associated with suspending solution. Volumes of the phases and/or concentrations of specific fluorophores or Raman active species are calculated from the volume of light emitted by the first phase relative to the total volume of light emitted from the first and second phases.

The invention provides a method of determining turbidity and concentration simultaneously a sample by irradiating the sample with a single incident wavelength and simultaneously measuring wavelength shifted (IE) and unshifted (EE) light emitted. A relative volume of light emitted from two phases may be determined, wherein the two phases comprise a first Rayleigh and Mie scattering and fluorescent phase associated with suspended particles, and a second, non-scattering but fluorescent phase associated with suspending solution. Volumes of the phases and/or concentrations of specific fluorophores or Raman active species are calculated from the volume of light emitted by the first phase relative to the total volume of light emitted from the first and second phases.

An immersion cytometry system (200, 250) having a primary focusing optic immersed in a fluid stream (209) containing suspended particles (212). The system includes a light source (202) configured to illuminate a sensing region in the fluid stream that includes a focus of the primary optic. Light scattered and/or fluoresced from suspended particles passing through the sensing region is focused by an external tube lens on an external detector. The primary optic in one embodiment is a ball lens. In some embodiments, one or more filter/beam splitters on the optical axis reflect a portion of the signal light towards corresponding detectors, each filter being configured to reflect a preselected waveband of light.

An immersion cytometry system (200, 250) having a primary focusing optic immersed in a fluid stream (209) containing suspended particles (212). The system includes a light source (202) configured to illuminate a sensing region in the fluid stream that includes a focus of the primary optic. Light scattered and/or fluoresced from suspended particles passing through the sensing region is focused by an external tube lens on an external detector. The primary optic in one embodiment is a ball lens. In some embodiments, one or more filter/beam splitters on the optical axis reflect a portion of the signal light towards corresponding detectors, each filter being configured to reflect a preselected waveband of light.

A sample observation device includes: an emission optical system that emits planar light to a sample on an XZ plane; a scanning unit that scans the sample in a Y-axis direction so as to pass through an emission surface of the planar light; an imaging optical system that has an observation axis inclined with respect to the emission surface and forms an image of observation light generated in the sample; an image acquisition unit that acquires a plurality of pieces of XZ image data corresponding to an optical image of the observation light; and an image generation unit 8 that generates XY image data based on the plurality of pieces of XZ image data. The image generation unit extracts an analysis region of the plurality of pieces of XZ image data acquired in the Y-axis direction, integrates brightness values of at least the analysis region in a Z-axis direction to generate X image data, and combines the X image data in the Y-axis direction to generate the XY image data.